What can I say about a gal who is one of the best thriller writers in the world today? I'll tell you: She's done it again. Topped herself, that is. On today's 84th Episode of The Thriller Zone, Meg Gardiner has teamed up with the legendary filmmaker Michael Mann to craft an epic saga that is part prequel, part sequel, and incorporates references to the original Heat, making it one helluva second effort, while standing strong as a stand-alone. You no doubt know Mann's work in Blackhat, Miami Vice...
Aug 11, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 84
On today's 83rd Episode of The Thriller Zone, special debut author Eli Cranor stops by to chew the fat about his debut runaway hit, "Don't Know Tough." From one Southern boy to another, this dude gets it right, on so many levels. The feeling of the deep south, the characters who play in that world, and a heart-wrenching story about the not-so-small world of high school football in a small southern town. As author Ace Atkins says, "Eli knows the underbelly of Friday night lights in this stunning ...
Aug 08, 2022•58 min•Season 1Ep. 83
On today's 82nd Episode of The Thriller Zone, I'm very happy to welcome the lovely, charming, and mega-talented New York Times Bestselling Author and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Winner, Sarah Pearse. Sarah not only has a unique way to "spin a yarn," but she has an engaging way to twist a story that leads you in one direction, only to redirect you another way. When you meet her, you instantly adore her upbeat personality, while wondering how someone so nice could create such evil. Join us as we c...
Aug 04, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 82
The first thing you notice and appreciate about today's guest is his upbeat energy, and his good-natured spirit. Then you find out his three-decade-plus experience in the publishing & writing, and comic book universe. Yes, Fabian Nicieza is both a two-time thriller writer of both The Self-Made Widow, his latest, and the Edgar-nominated debut Suburban . Today's 81st episode of The Thriller Zone is fast, energetic, funny, relatable, educational, and flat-out inspiring! Carve out an hour and en...
Aug 01, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 81
If you're a fan of Robert Ludlum's iconic Jason Bourne character, then you're going to love today's 80th Episode of The Thriller Zone. Let's just say Bourne is in good hands with Freeman's latest thriller, The Bourne Sacrifice; the 3rd Ludlum book by this prolific author. Brian offers today's listeners so many fantastic insights to the world of thriller writing. From solid business insights, to profound writing advice, and a number of engaging stories in between, it's easy to see why Brian Freem...
Jul 28, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 80
On today's 79th episode of The Thriller Zone, I'm thrilled to welcome USA Today Bestselling Author, Tracey Devlyn. Tracey's hot 'n sassy thriller, FLASH POINT, literally has "something for everyone!" If you like page-turning thrillers...with well-crafted characters...several of whom "turn up the heat with some saucy scenes"...and a resolution that'll leave you feeling satisfied, then you'll spend some time with Flash Point. Tracey and I share more than several similarities; she's from Illinois a...
Jul 25, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Today, marks a milestone in the history of this podcast; actually, it's two fold. First, I'm proud to introduce you to Year #2, aka Season 3, and Episode #78 of The Thriller Zone. Second, I am honored to welcome one of the genuine legends in the literary world, Mr. Dean Koontz. I, like you, have been following him for decades, and have been amazed at his prolific output of one terrific suspense thriller after another. For nearly 6 decades, Dean has been crafting suspense novels that incorporate ...
Jul 21, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 78
Rarely does a book come along that has you scratching your head and saying, "Wait, what did I just read?" I won't ruin the surprise. Join me in welcoming Amina Akhtar as my guest on today's 77th Episode and a "Special Addition" of The Thriller Zone. Amina brings high energy and fashionable insights to the podcast with her latest novel, KISMET, her viciously funny thriller about the world of WELLNESS, as well as the smoothies, the secrets, and the deliciously deadly impulses; all of which make th...
Jul 18, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 77
Unless you've been lost in a cave, or sleeping under a rock for the past decade, I'm sure you know the name Brad Thor. Brad is one of the more prolific authors of our time, and the creator of the Scot Harvath Series. Some have called him, "The Undisputed King of the Genre," ( Real Book Spy ), while others have said this of his many books: "UN-Freaking-Believable," ( The Crew Reviews ), then there's, "An Amazing Thriller" says Fred Burton , and "Rising Tiger is ripped from tomorrow's headlines," ...
Jul 14, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 76
On today's 75th and Bonus Episode of The Thriller Zone, we welcome Publishing Guru and author of The Business of Being a Writer, Jane Friedman. For those familiar with her work, Jane brings a vast knowledge of one of the key aspects of writing that many authors either don't know much about, or know about but have little grasp of, or are familiar with parts of the business of writing, but could use more info. Jane is your perfect connection to all that. And more. Having worked in book publishing ...
Jul 11, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 75
On today's 74th Episode of The All New Season of TheThrillerZone, I'm happy to announce the latest member of our Discovering New Author Series, Brian Lebeau. Brian Lebeau hails from Massachusetts, but currently lives just outside San Diego...which I just learned! Brian's thriller, A Disturbing Nature, is a psychological thriller set in the summer of 1975, and explores the concept of two deaths, blurring the line between man and monster. The books explores ethics, psychology and social justice wh...
Jul 07, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 74
On today's 73rd episode, we celebrate our One-Year Anniversary of The Thriller Zone! And how does one celebrate 12 months and 73 episodes? By inviting a small handful of friends who happen to be among the best authors in the world. Those special guests include: Meg Gardiner, Chris Hauty, Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson of Andrews-Wilson, Joe Goldberg, Joey Hartstone, Peter Farris, Mark Westmoreland, and my old pal, Sean O'Rourke. There's an extra special guest, my co-host for the show, my lov...
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Today's 72nd episode of The Thriller Zone welcomes debut author Steve Stratton to the podcast. With an illustrious and varied career, which includes working at The White House alongside both Presidents Ford and Carter, as well as working inside The Secret Service, Steve brings authenticity to his debut work in "Shadow Tier." On today's show, we begin by catching up after having spent time together in New York at this year's Thrillerfest. Steve walked away with terrific education, solid contacts,...
Jun 23, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 72
On today's 71st episode of TheThrillerZone, I'm honored to welcome back the multi-talented author of not only the Tom Clancy thriller #ZeroHour, but the #MattDrakeSeries of thrillers: Don Bentley. Yes, Don joins The TZ for a healthy round of information dispersal, intriguing conversation about the military, epic thrillers, the Tom Clancy legacy, his masterful editor Tom Colgan, and so much more. Sure, we cover his Matt Drake Series, which includes: #WithoutSanction, #TheOutsideMan, and #HostileI...
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 71
On today's 70th Episode of The Thriller Zone, I'm happy to introduce you to debut author, Joey Hartstone. If you recognize his name, it may be because he is the screenwriter to the films: LBJ and Shock & Awe , both starring Woody Harrelson , and directed by Rob Reiner . And if you're as big a geek as I am, who loves to discover the writers behind hit TV Series, then you may know him from The Good Fight (2017), and Your Honor (2020). On this month's " Discovering New Authors ," I'm stoked to ...
Jun 13, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 70
Today's guest is none other than the multi-talented and award-winning #1 New York Times bestselling author of several thrillers, PLUS one of the nicest dudes walking the planet: Mark Greaney! He's written SEVEN Tom Clancy thrillers, ELEVEN Gray Man Novels...coming soon to Netflix and starring Ryan Gosling , one stand-alone, and has more recently turned one of his attempts at screenplay writing into, not only an audiobook, but "reverse-engineered" that same property into what will most certainly ...
Jun 09, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 69
On today's 68th Episode of The Thriller Zone, I'm happy to welcome mystery-thriller novelist Mark Edward Langley. Mark's story about trafficking, is led by Arthur Nakai, a new Private Investigator in New Mexico. His three novels are: Path of the Dead, Death Waits in the Dark, and When Silence Screams; all part of the Arthur Nakai Series. On this podcast, Mark and I discuss life in New Mexico, the process of researching to find the genuine sense of place. We discuss our hero writers we look up to...
Jun 02, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 68
On today's 67th Episode of The Thriller Zone, I'm pretty stoked to have Frank Zafiro on the podcast. Frank is a former cop, and current author, who's become not only a strong resource as I write my crime thrillers, but he's become a friend as well. Frank shares a good many insights as to how he's been able to create such a prolific number of novels over the past handful of years. We talk method, inspirations, procedurals, motivating factors, as well as audiobooks, and a lot more. I promise you'l...
May 26, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 67
May Cobb was my Guest #1 on The Thriller Zone, when we launched in mid-June of last year ('21). The book she was promoting at the time was The Hunting Wives , a sultry and intoxicating thriller. My Summer Darlings is another summertime scorcher, where the temps, like the libidos of three suburban gals, rise to a crescendo amidst the backdrop of suburban Texas. On today's 66th Episode , we discuss a good many things, including the launch of her Texas-wide Book Tour, we dissect the "Multi-POV" of ...
May 19, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 66
On today's 65th Episode of The Thriller Zone, I'm thrilled to welcome, for a return visit, the beautiful, talented and inspiring Tori Eldridge, author of Dance Among The Flames . This book is where thriller, horror, mysticism and even a dash of romance comes to play. Trust me when I say, there's a little something for everyone in this latest thriller from the House of Eldridge. As you'll soon hear, Tori offers terrific insights on the world of writing, and the importance of "building community" ...
May 12, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 65
When you meet Josh, aka @joshuahoodbooks, you don't initially know if he's angry, super-focused, or thinking about something else. Then, as you unwrap the conversation, you'll see he's a thoughtful, introspective, and guy who has a mad talent to write. On Episode #64 of The Thriller Zone, I'm happy to spend a bit over an hour speaking with this driven, opinionated, and (again) talented young man. He's served his country in the 82nd Airborne, as a sniper team leader on a SWAT Team in Memphis, he'...
May 05, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 64
On today's 63rd Episode of The Thriller Zone, I welcome Peter Farris, author of THE DEVIL HIMSELF. Rolling Stone calls the book, "A radical Southern noir set to an infernal flame." William Boyle, author of Shoot the Moonlight Out says, "Learn for yourself what French readers have known for a while now: Peter Farris is a master of hard-nosed Southern noir…” Having finished Peter's book this weekend, I can tell you it’s a dark tale of revenge and redemption that’ll have you revisiting the characte...
Apr 28, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 63
On Episode #62 of The Thriller Zone, former Senior Intelligence Analyst for the CIA, NSA & RAND, ALMA KATSU joins the Top Secret Club known as "The TZ" to discuss secret stuff, higher education, writing advice & techniques. On the show, Alma also discusses how she never originally set out to work for the CIA, but always wanted to write. So after 30+ years, she compresses all that thrilling espionage information in a page-turning thriller. Oh, and wait until you hear the latest, greatest ...
Apr 25, 2022•58 min•Season 1Ep. 62
On the 61st Episode of The Thriller Zone, I'm honored to sit down with New York Times Bestselling Author, Marc Cameron. Marc has an epic number of novels under his belt which include: 10 Jericho Quinn novels, 5 Tom Clancy Novels, and 4 Arliss Cutter Novels. Yeah, with 3 series and oodles of stories to still tell, Marc shows no signs of slowing down. In this show, Marc and I discuss a host of topics, from huntin' 'n fishin' to boatin' 'n flyin'. We chat the magic of getting an agent, the art of o...
Apr 21, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Author Bobby Mathews works as a sports journalist by day, and by night crafts articles for publications, short stories, and novellas. More importantly, he's about to release his latest novel, LIVING THE GIMMICK. Author S. A. Cosby calls it, “A wild and surreal trip through the subculture of old school pro wrestling.” You'll call it captivating for a young new writer. Join Bobby and me as we talk about southern fiction, and southern food, in our Rapid Fire Questions round. To learn more, visit: b...
Apr 18, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Episode #59 brings to The Thriller Zone one of the most fun (in the South, we call it "funnest") shows to date. Today, we welcome Scott Blackburn and his debut thriller IT DIES WITH YOU, a story about a washed up boxer who returns to his hometown to take a gig as a bouncer at a dive bar. That's when life delivers him another hook to the jaw: his estranged father, Leland, has been murdered in what appears to be a robbery gone bad at his salvage yard, Miller's Pull-A-Part. It's a searing literary ...
Apr 14, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 59
My guest on Episode #58 of The Thriller Zone is USA Today Bestselling author Ward Larsen. He is the creator of the David Slaton Series, including his latest, ASSASSIN'S EDGE, coming 4.12.22; a series that's pleased readers with 9 page-turning thrillers over the past several years. On today's show, Ward and I cram a lot of info into a brief amount of time. We discuss his multiple series, the ever-popular David Slaton character, what it's like to be a real life pilot, and when it comes to Rapid Fi...
Apr 07, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 58
On today's 57th Episode of The Thriller Zone, I welcome special guest host, Kristen Tsetsi, author, entrepreneur and pet lover. When I came up with an idea called " Ask The Host ," I thought of Kris because of her talent for asking good questions and being an excellent listener. Thankfully, she agreed. In today's show, we basically turn the tables, and have Kris ask the questions. I certainly hope this doesn't come across as self-serving, but I've been asked by several listeners if they could le...
Apr 04, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Thriller writer, Aaron Philip Clark, has a rich history in education and law enforcement. And that, along with his passion for storytelling, comes alive in his latest thriller, UNDER COLOR OF LAW. On today's 56th Episode of TheThrillerZone , Aaron and I dig deep into the racially-charged story about black rookie cop Trevor "Finn" Finnegan, as he aspires to become a top-ranking officer in the Los Angeles Police Department. As he attempts to "fix" a broken department, he is soon faced with challen...
Mar 31, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 56
On today's 55th episode of The Thriller Zone, I'm joined by International Bestselling author, Avanti Centrae, where we will discuss her latest thriller, The Doomsday Medallion . Described as "The Da Vinci Code meets Tomb Raider, " heroine Maddy Marshall leads this action-packed, high-stakes journey through a roller-coaster thrill ride that provides a "mashup" of historical suspense and political thriller. As BestThrillers.com puts it, "Perfect for fans of Steve Berry and James Rollins." Join us ...
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 55
